Airlangga Hartarto Said That Besides Electricity, The Kayan River Has The Potential To Become A Hydrogen-based Energy Source

Airlangga Hartarto. (special photo)

YOGYAKARTA - A greener and cleaner world through the use of new and renewable energy was the topic of discussion by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in a seminar at Gadjah Mada University. Hydro or hydro, solar, and geothermal energy receive full attention as an environmentally friendly future energy.

Hydropower or water energy sources, which are based on the potential of rivers. Airlangga gave an example of the Kayan River or Kayan River in North Kalimantan which has a potential of up to 12 gigawatts. Even the Kayan River can grow a new economic potential, namely a hydrogen-based economy.

According to Airlangga, the hydrogen-based economy will be very sustainable, because if it is included as a substitute for fuel oil, the waste will be in the form of water. "This is what is called blue hydrogen," he said when he was the main speaker at the Public Seminar "Recover Together, Recover Stronger: G20 and Indonesia's Strategic Agenda", at the Senate Hall, Gajah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, Thursday, March 17 afternoon.

Kayan River, which will be built by PT Kayan Hydro Energi hydropower plant. (Ist Photo)

The government is currently also pushing for energy that is geoternal in nature, which is on the island of Java with a potential of 29 gigawatts.

Encourage

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that the Indonesian government continues to encourage the energy transition and energy democratization towards sustainable energy.

Indonesia, according to Airlangga, has enormous potential outside of coal, namely the potential for renewable energy. For example in the development of solar power.

“Solar power is considered an energy democracy. Because solar power does not depend on the economics of skill, it can be done at home, it can be done in factories, and it can also be done on a large scale,” said the General Chair of the Golkar Party.

To develop this energy democratization, the government also continues to prepare it so that the community is able to be independent in terms of energy supply.

"This is the mechanism that we have prepared with PLN, that energy democratization is very important so that in every house there can be electricity (electricity) based on solar energy," he said.

According to Airlangga, solar energy is currently very competitive. Even Indonesia itself is thinking about exporting solar energy, one of which is from Batam to Singapore. The potential magnitude can be four gigawatts.

In fact, there are two things that are exported from the potential of solar energy. “One is the electricity, the second is the carbon credit. There are two markets for the development of solar power," said Airlangga, the chairman of the Committee for Handling Corona Virus Disease 2019 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN). "These are the programs that Indonesia offers to the world, so that Indonesia can achieve net-zero emission in the middle of this century, or in 2060. It could even be faster depending on the availability of funding both from within and outside the country," said Airlangga.

Airlangga hopes that in the seminar the government will get input from researchers, in order to develop a research space policy that can support Indonesia's priority agenda in the G20.

Transformation

Airlangga also stated that Indonesia has now transformed from a commodity exporter country to an exporter of manufactured products.

"Indonesia currently has added value through downstreaming which can create new economic growth. One of them is downstream in mineral mining resources," said Airlangga.

Airlangga Hartarto is enthusiastic about talking about renewable energy at UGM. (Ist Photo)

For example in the steel and iron industry where four years ago Indonesia's exports were only 4.5 billion US dollars. However, in 2021 Indonesia succeeded in exporting steel and iron by downstreaming to stainless steel, then copper and gold and steel to 20.8 billion dollars. Meanwhile, for exports of CPO and its derivatives, it reached 33 billion US dollars.

According to Airlangga Hartarto, this is something important for Gajah Mada University, to encourage its academic community to support Indonesia's sources of economic growth.